RAMALLAH, October 18, 2025 (WAFA) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has rejected, for the second time, an appeal filed by Israel against the arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
Regarding its reasons for rejecting the appeal, the court explained in a 10-page ruling issued on Friday, that "Israel reiterates its previous arguments," referring to its first appeal, which was rejected in July 2025, in which it also argued that the court lacked jurisdiction.
The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted informed sources as saying that Israel reiterated in its second appeal that the court "does not have jurisdiction to hear crimes committed on Palestinian territory."
However, the court affirmed in its decision that it "is not obligated to discuss the jurisdiction issue raised by Israel before executing the arrest warrants," stressing that the issuance of the warrants was an independent process and is not legally related to the issue of jurisdiction.
Israeli legal circles believe that the ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange in Gaza may halt the court's prosecutions against Netanyahu and Galant.
However, the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Israeli sources as saying that the agreement "does not formally affect the course of the case," because the warrants relate to crimes committed between October 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024.
In July 2025, the ICC rejected a formal request from Israel to revoke the arrest warrants and suspend the investigation into Netanyahu and Galant, submitted on May 9 of the same year.
In its decision at the time, the court indicated that suspending an investigation, under Article 19(7) of the Rome Statute, only applies when a state challenges the "admissibility of the case," which Israel did not do, as its objection was limited to the issue of jurisdiction.
It is noteworthy that on February 5, 2021, the International Criminal Court recognized Palestine as a State Party to the Rome Statute, granting it jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including Gaza and the West Bank.
On March 3, 2021, the Office of the Prosecutor of the Court announced the opening of a formal investigation into the situation in Palestine.
On September 23, 2024, Israel filed its objection to the Court's jurisdiction, under Article 19(2) of the Statute.
Two months later, on November 21, 2024, Pre-Trial Chamber I issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Galant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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